Scars
by AnabelleBlack20
Summary: Fifth Year. Harry Potter was repeatedly hurt during Umbridge's detentions and he has the scars to prove it. His godfather, Sirius Black was furious when he found out that his beloved godson had suffered so much. Note: Sirius is a free man in this story. Protective!Sirius. A father and son story. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

Harry knocked on the pink door twice and waited. He'd promised himself that he wouldn't lose his temper. Not again. Detention in the first week itself was bad enough. He didn't want to make this a regular thing. His godfather would be less than pleased. Besides, it wasn't even his fault! All he'd done was tell her the truth about Voldemort being back.

But the new Defence Professor had called him a liar and assigned detention. He hated Dolores Umbridge. She was the liar here, not him.

"Come in." There was that sickly sweet voice again. He wasn't sure if he had ever hated any one as much as he hated the bloody toad on the other side of the door. He schooled his features and opened the door.

Her office was so... pink! There were shades of pink everywhere. Baby pink wallpaper, a pink carpet with paisley patterns, even most of the furniture was pink! Almost every section of the walls were filled with pictures of different breeds of cats. Her office felt repulsive and Harry swallowed the urge to gag.

He felt like he'd just entered a Barbie dollhouse. Except, in this version, Barbie wasn't a pretty blonde with blue eyes and an abnormally long neck. In this 'dollhouse', 'Barbie' was a middle aged, stout, toad-like creature dressed in a shapeless pink dress and a pink cardigan. Umbridge' beady black eyes zeroed in on him.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter. Come, sit." She smiled at him but it was all teeth and no warmth. There was a cold, almost savage gleam in her eyes and it was unsettling.

Harry sat down on one of the pink stuffed chairs and waited. "Would you like some tea?" He shook his head. Her smile faltered slightly when he refused. "Very well then."

"Tell me, Potter, why are you here today?"

"Because I spoke the truth." Harry wasn't feeling particularly obedient right now. Umbridge merely took another sip of her tea and looked at him as though he were nothing more than a bothersome fly.

"Incorrect. You are here because of your lack of respect towards the ministry and the _lies_ that you have been telling. You need to be corrected." Harry stayed silent, eyes fixated on the carpet. "You see Mr. Potter, certain children, orphans especially, tend to stray off the right path due to lack of a guiding hand. Such individuals need to learn. I'm here for that exact reason."

Throughout her little explanation, Harry had balled his fists until he felt his fingernails digging into his palm almost painfully. The urge to lash out at her was overwhelming. He wasn't an orphan! At least not anymore. He'd been adopted by his brilliant godfather shortly after his third year. It was the first thing Sirius had done after he'd been proven innocent.

"What do I have to do?" Umbridge smiled at him—that annoying, sickly, fake smile— and opened one of the drawers in her desk. She pulled out a roll of parchment and a quill and placed it in front of him. "You will be doing lines, Mr. Potter. For the duration of your detention."

Two hours of writing lines? That didn't sound too bad. "What do you want me to write?" He could do this. "I must not tell lies." And just like that, his anger returned. He grit his teeth, reached into his bag and pulled out his ink bottle. "Oh don't bother. This quill doesn't require any ink. It's one of a kind."

He stared at the parchment for a minute before writing. He'd barely written that vile sentence once when an intense pain flared up in his left hand. He bit his lip to prevent himself from crying out. He glanced down at the injured hand and nearly gasped.

Carved into his skin were the very words he'd just written on the parchment. The crimson words that had been carved out from his own blood made him nauseous. He glanced at Umbridge who gave him another of those sick smiles. "Is there a problem, Mr. Potter?"

"No." There was no way he'd show any weakness in front of her. Harry clenched his left fist and continued to write. He desperately tried to ignore the increasing pain but was barely successful.

The clock ticked on and it was the only sound in the otherwise silent room. Every now and then Umbridge would look at him condescendingly and smile cruelly.

By the end of those horrible, excruciating two hours, Harry was close to tears. The back of his hand was throbbing and the words could be seen distinctly. "I believe we're done for the day, Mr. Potter. I hope you have learnt your lesson. Any more and we'll be back here before you know it. Goodnight, Potter."

Harry didn't bother to return the greeting. He shouldered his bag and all but fled from her office. He went straight to his dormitory since he wasn't hungry anymore. The dormitory was thankfully empty. He threw himself on his bed and shoved his hand under his pillow. The underside of the pillow that was cool provided some sort of minimal comfort to his poor hand.

He wanted nothing more than to talk to his godfather. He felt underneath his pillow and his fingers closed around the mirror that Sirius had given him before he'd left. It was a two way mirror. All he had to do was say his godfather's name and the man would appear in it.

He forced a smile on and prayed that his voice sounded stronger than he felt. "Sirius Black." He waited for about a minute before Sirius appeared within the frame. "Hey, pup. How was your day?"

"It was alright. Lessons are boring." Sirius laughed and shook his head playfully at him. "Now, now. You know better than to say that, young man. Just don't fall asleep, kiddo." Harry felt better already. "So, how are the professors treating you? Has old Minnie docked points off yet? Is Snape being an arse again?"

"Nothing worse than usual. I've learnt how to deal with him." It was that pink toad that was the actual problem. "Mmhm. You tell me if he gives you any trouble. I'll set the twins on him in an instant. Anyway, what about that new Defence professor. Is she any good?"

Harry mentally winced. The very topic he had wanted to avoid. He'd made up his mind that he wouldn't tell his godfather about Umbridge and her detention. He didn't want to bother the man with his problems. He was fifteen for Merlin's sake! He could deal with one bloody detention and a little pain without whining.

"She looks like a toad." It was the only honest thing that didn't disclose her rather malignant temperament. "Well, you be sure to catch her snapping up flies." Harry had to laugh. It was just too hilarious. He pictured Umbridge eat insects during lessons. Just like the toad she was.

"So what else is new, pup?"

"Nothing much. Mcgonagall said that the first Quidditch game of the year is coming up in less than a month. You'll come, won't you?" Sirius had promised he'd come and watch. "Wouldn't miss it for the world." Harry felt a small lump in his throats and shoved it down. His godfather had no idea how much it meant to Harry. Sirius was the only father Harry had ever known. "So I suppose I'll see you around then."

"You certainly will. Goodnight, pup. I love you."

"Love you too."

Hoping desperately that everything would get better, Harry fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Turns out he couldn't have been more wrong. The days just got worse. Umbridge practically pounced on every single opportunity to have Harry in detention. Even the smallest of offences were punished serverely. It was always the same. He'd go to her office in the evening and she'd make him wrote lines for over two hours.

At first it was only once in two weeks or so. But then, the number of days began to increase until it was almost three to four days a week. His left hand worsened. It was a patchwork of words. The older ones had turned white and had permanently engraved themselves into his skin. He'd always yank the of his sleeves sweater down so that they covered his hands. No one could know about it.

He hadn't told Sirius and he didn't plan to. Ron and Hermione had reluctantly promised to keep his secret. Although they'd tried to persuade him to tell his godfather, the two of them hadn't achieved much success.

None was happier than Harry when Christmas vacations began. He simply couldn't wait to go home. He had missed Sirius a lot. He knew that the moment he was home, he'd feel better.

The moment the train pulled up into the station, Harry all but rushed out of the train. His eyes scanned the crowd of parents and an automatic smile formed on his face when he spotted Sirius.

Not caring that he looked silly, Harry ran all the way and threw his arms around his godfather. As predicted, he felt a hundred times better already. "There's my boy! You really have missed me, haven't you?" Harry didn't reply but merely hugged the man tighter. "Come now, pup. Dobby's waiting at home with all your favourites.

Harry finally pulled away. "Alright." Sirius shrunk Harry's trunk, pocketed it and threw his arm around the lad's shoulders. They waved goodbye to Harry's friends before walking into the muggle world.

Unlike most teenage boys, Harry didn't mind the arm around him. If anything, he welcomed it. Especially after everything that had happened with Umbridge. All his life, he had been deprived of basic affection. Now, he relished it.

He was home.

* * *

Sirius was elated to have his godson back home. He was pleasantly surprised when the boy had greeted him so enthusiastically. He observed Harry with a slight frown as he got ready to apparate home. He'd lost quite a bit of weight and that wasn't something comforting.

Never mind that. He was home for the vacations and Sirius would do his best to get a bit of fat onto the boy. "Hold on tight, kiddo." Harry gripped his arm and they were instantly sucked into the familiar tube of darkness.

Once they were home, Sirius sent Harry's trunk up to his room. Unpacking later.

Food comes first. Always.

At lunch, Harry told him about his term. It sounded pretty normal but Sirius couldn't help but feel that his pup had left something out. He didn't know why he felt that way but he did. He ignored the unpleasant hunch.

"Eat a little more, kiddo. You're far too thin for my liking," Sirius instructed when Harry only helped himself to only a small portion of pasta. "And you are still too much of a mother hen for my liking," Harry replied with a teasing grin but did as he'd been told.

Sirius reached out and tugged Harry's ear playfully. "And you're still a little brat." The fondness in his voice contradicted his words though.

That night, Harry crawled into bed, tired and absolutely happy. He pulled out a long sleeved jumper over his nightshirt to make sure that his hands were covered. He hated hiding anything from Sirius but he needed to do this. He'd already caused enough trouble last year over Voldemort's return. He didn't want to create any further problems for his godfather.

Christmas was brilliant. Harry's friends, the entire Weasley family, Remus, even the Granger family came together. It was one big celebration at Black Manor.

Presents, greetings, hugs and kisses were exchanged. The atmosphere was nearly buzzing with the festive spirit. Happiness, excitement and bliss. For a while, everyone forgot that Voldemort was back. Presently, they were nothing more than a group of friends who'd all gathered to celebrate Christmas.

While Sirius felt that nothing could ruin this holiday, he had no idea about how wrong he was.

He was in for a nasty surprise.

* * *

It was like any other day.

Harry's friends had just left. The Weasleys and Harry had been playing Quidditch out on the grounds. Harry put his broom and equipment away but kept the snitch. He had the habit of occasionally meddling with the tiny golden ball. According to Sirius, it was something that he'd picked up from James.

Tired, he plopped down on the sofa lengthwise, still fiddling with the snitch. He played with it for a while before knocking off, the ball firmly clutched in his left hand.

Sometime later, when Sirius returned home, he found his godson asleep on the sofa. _Fifteen and napping_. He shook his head with a fond smile. He then noticed something sticking out of Harry's hand. Upon closer inspection, he found that it was a snitch.

Fearing for the wings of that poor little thing, he bent down to free the snitch from the boy's grasp. As he was doing so, the long sleeve of Harry's sweatshirt slid up a bit.

That's when he saw it.

 _I must not tell lies._

The white words were etched onto the pale skin on his boy's hand. Someone had tried to hurt Harry.

Pure fury coursed through his veins.

More importantly, why hadn't Harry said anything. Surely, the lad knew by now that he could always talk to Sirius.

Enough of this rubbish.

He shook Harry's shoulder sharply. "Harry, get up." Groggily, the boy sat. "What?" He sounded irritated, clearly annoyed at being woken up.

Ignoring the irate tone, Sirius grasped Harry's wrist with firm fingers. "When, pray tell, were you planning to tell me about this?" His words were calm but they betrayed the underlying anger in them.

Every bit of sleep left his person when Harry realised what his godfather was talking about. _Dammit!_ How could he have been so careless! All these days, he'd been so careful, making sure that his hand was completely covered. One small mistake was all it took.

He snatched his hand from the man's hold and quickly got up. "It's nothing. I'm fine." He made to go to his room only to be pulled back.

"Oh no you don't! Don't you dare walk away from this! You will tell me what this is about." The only time Harry has seen Sirius so angry was when his name had been pulled out of the Goblet. Even then, it hadn't been at _him._

"I said it's nothing! It's not a big deal, Sirius. Leave it alone." Harry felt his own temper rising slowly. He couldn't tell Sirius. He wouldn't.

"Not a big deal? Leave it alone? Just look at your hand, Harry! If someone is hurting you, I need to know." Harry didn't know how to answer that.

There was this small, logical and rational part of him that was screaming at him to end this and just tell his godfather everything. Normally, he always felt loads better when he just unburdened himself. Why was he being so adamant now?

"No one is hurting me, Sirius. I'm fine." _I'm fine._ Harry had lost count of the number of times he'd used that exact phrase.

"Harry James, if no one was hurting you, your hand wouldn't look like that. I only want to help you. So, you need to tell me what's going on. "

Harry hated this. He hated arguing with his godfather, more than anything. Whenever they had even small disagreements, he felt miserable and was always quick to apologise.

"Please, Sirius. Don't make me. Please, please just let it be." He didn't want to fight anymore. Not with the one person he looked up to more than anyone else.

Sirius watched his godson. The boy had wrapped his arms around himself almost protectively. What could be so bad that Harry put up such resistance and refused to talk? The man was also blaming himself. He was supposed to be the calm, responsible adult. He shouldn't have been so harsh with the lad. What was wrong with him? What he should have done was patiently spoken to him. Not yell and shake him further.

Harry's emerald eyes were glistening with unshed tears and Sirius cursed himself. He stepped forward and pulled Harry into his arms, hugging him tightly. Immediately, the boy hugged him back. "I'm sorry," Harry whispered. "No, kiddo, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so hard on you."

"Harry, I'm worried, alright. You need to tell me what's going on. Whoever is harming you, I'll make them stop." Oh he'd get them to stop. But before that, he'd make sure that they paid dearly.

He led Harry to the sofa and sat down next to him, slinging his arm around his pup. "Just tell me, kiddo." After what felt like forever, Harry sagged against him, his posture resigned.

"Umbridge."

The new DADA teacher? That little bitch had done this to his pup? "Tell me everything."

Sirius listened, his anger increasing with each word. Harry told him about the detentions and how she continuously used that blood quill on him, how she accused him of being a liar and how she belittled him. Harry's voice was a bare whisper as he spoke. By the time Harry was done, Sirius was livid.

How dare she?

Sirius subconsciously pulled Harry closer, absentmindedly running a hand through his godson's hair. "Why didn't you tell me sooner, Harry?" He made sure that his words were calm although he felt the complete opposite. Why had the boy chosen to suffer instead of talking to him?

"You've already been through a lot, Sirius. And that's my fault. It's not your burden to bear." These words hurt Sirius more than he would've thought. "Not my burden? How can you say that, Harry?"

"Sirius, I didn't me—"

"You shouldn't have to hide, pup. Not from me." Sirius tipped Harry's chin up and looked the boy in the eye. "I know that, Sirius, I swear I do. It's just that you've done a lot for me and I don't want to put you through anything more. She's utterly horrible, Sirius."

The man shook his head and pulled the boy close once again. "I don't care what the situation is. Whatever it is, we get over it together. You're not supposed to bottle it all up like that. Dear Merlin, never met a more thick headed boy."

The fact that Harry didn't have a comeback for that proved just how upset he was. That filthy bloody toad!

She'd pay. He'd make sure of that. She'd rue the day she had decided to hurt Harry James Potter.

Dolores Umbridge was about to incur the wrath of one pissed off, overprotective godfather.

* * *

 **And that's Part One. Part Two will be uploaded soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

Sirius stepped out of the fireplace and into Dumbledore's ornate office. He knew that all professors stayed behind during the vacations which is why he knew that the ugly toad would be here too.

He'd already told Dumbledore that he'd be paying him a visit, the purpose of which he was yet to reveal.

"Dumbledore," he greeted, his voice frosty. That alone was enough a hint for the old man. While it was Umbitch who had directly punished Harry, Dumbledore wasn't off the hook either. It was his responsibility to keep an eye on the professors and the students. He was currently doing a downright shoddy job.

"Sirius, please sit. What can I do for you?" Sirius sat down in the stuffed chair and regarded the old man with steady eyes. "Yes. There are a couple of things that you can do for me."

"You can start by telling me why you've been doing a piss poor job at protecting your students." Dumbledore looked like he had choked on one of his lemon drops.

"My boy, I don't quite und—"

"It's your job to keep an eye on the students and the professors. A lot has been going on right under your nose. You've been blissfully ignorant to everything that's happened in the past few months. Like I said, you have been doing a rather pathetic job keeping an eye on the professors, particularly the new Professor Toad."

There were few people who could give Albus Dumbledore such a tongue lashing. Sirius Black was one of them. From amongst the Marauders, Sirius had always been the most outspoken one. He didn't hesitate to put people in their place, no matter who they were.

"Professor Umbridge? Is something wrong? Did she do something, my boy?"

Sirius pretended to think. "Now what could she have possibly done? I don't know, Dumbledore, can one consider student abuse as malpractice?"

The twinkle disappeared from the old man's eyes. "Abuse? What did she do?"

Sirius' eyes darkened with a rage that made even Dumbledore flinch. In that moment, the old man was forcefully reminded of Orion Black, easily one of the most formidable men he had encountered. "That bloody bitch tortured my godson for the better part of three months. He has the scars to prove it."

"I am sorry to hear this, Sirius. But, I must ask; why didn't Harry tell me?" Sirius narrowed his eyes at the old man, resisting the urge to over turn his desk and thrash his office. "Are you seriously asking me that? He's tried so many times to try and approach you, to talk. But you, Dumbledore, seemed hell bent on avoiding him. Umbridge is guilty, there's no doubt about that. But you, Albus, are not without blame either."

Dumbledore did looked sorrowful but Sirius felt no sympathy towards the old man. He should have looked out for Harry. "I am truly sorry, Sirius. My actions have caused great harm to young Harry and for that, I apologise wholeheartedly."

Sirius wasn't satisfied. "Your apology will do little to change what's already happened. My godson is the one who suffered."

"I know, Sirius. No one regrets this more than I. I give you my word that I'll speak to Professor Umbridge and the minister regarding this."

"That's not necessary. I've already made arrangements for _both_ of them. Before that, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with _Professor_ Umbridge." It wasn't a request. The old man knew it. "Of course, Sirius."

Sirius stood and nodded at Dumbledore. "Then I suppose that'll be all. Good day, Albus."

Sirius swiftly left the office and went straight to the Defence quarters.

* * *

Dolores Umbridge was having a wonderful Christmas holiday. Majority of the brats had gone home for the month, leaving the castle in peace. She had been sent by the minister to squash all _rumours_ about the Dark Lord's return and liked to think that she'd done a fairly good job.

The only thorn in her side was that insolent Potter boy. No amount of disciplinary sessions were enough to weaken his resolve. He still spread lies about you-know-who, the annoying little waif.

There was a knock on the door and she frowned. Who could it be? Nevertheless, she slipped on her sweet sickly smile and called out: "Come in."

The door opened and a man stepped inside. He was tall with longish black hair and cold grey eyes. He exuded confidence and authority. She recognised him almost immediately. Sirius Black. He looked much different from that mug shot she'd seen two years ago.

She sniffed disapprovingly. What was an ex-convict doing in her office? "Mr. Black, how may I help you?"

Black said nothing. He regarded her with those steely eyes which seemed to darken until she felt like she was staring into the darkest abyss and she involuntarily shivered.

"Professor Umbridge."

What could he possibly want with her? She had been present at his trial two years ago, but later, she hadn't bothered to find out what he'd done after regaining his freedom, she didn't care.

"I just dropped by for a performance report, regarding one of the students. I received word that he's been _misbehaving_ in your lessons. It's quite normal for a parent to know about their child's performance, is it not? " He spoke in that same cold voice and smiled at her; a grin that barely masked the sliver of insanity in his eyes.

She coughed nervously. "Of course, Mr. Black. Which student are you referring to?"

"Harry Potter."

A wave of anger washed over her at that brat's name and some of her fear melted away. "Potter?" Her voice was dripping with contempt. "Yes. My godson."

Umbridge took a deep breath before she spoke to this very intimidating man before her. "Mr. Potter spread lies and created fear amongst his fellow classmates. As a responsible professor, I cannot condone such behaviour in my class. I disciplined him as I saw fit."

"And what was the nature of this detention?" The woman gulped audibly and adjusted the collar of her cardigan.

"Lines." The world was barely above a whisper.

"And do these lines have a lasting effect on the student? Such as, I don't know, scars on the back of one's hand?"

She looked at him and saw more than a man who was merely appalled by her teaching methods. She saw a father who's son had been wronged. She'd thought that she was taming the boy but the brat had gone crying to Black and now she was about to incur the wrath of a very powerful man.

"I—"

"Silence." His voice cut her words like the hiss of scalding metal touching the surface of ice cold water. She wasn't quite successful in holding back a flinch. She stared at his rapidly darkening features and realised that Black knew exactly what she'd done.

He spoke again. His voice was calm, controlled and the most terrifying thing she'd ever heard. "I could have the aurors here in less than fifteen minutes."

"W-What? You can't... you can't do that. I was well within my rights to rein the boy in."

"Detention and child abuse are two very different things, Professor. You tormented an innocent boy who only spoke the truth. What you have done is unforgivable. I don't _care_ what your old, fat, useless boss asked you to do. You had absolutely no right to harm _my_ godson. _I_ cannot condone that."

"I didn't know you were—"

"That I was his guardian? Damn right you didn't."

"I thought about how to deal with you. I initially felt would be fitting to make you write a few lines with this little toy right here." He pulled out a quill from his pocket and set it on the table. Umbridge blanched at the sight of it. It was an exact replica of the one currently sitting in her topmost drawer. "How do y—"

"I know about the blood quill? I grew up in the world's darkest family. We Blacks are the pioneers of Dark Magic. You'd be surprised at how much I know about the Dark Arts. Just because I don't practice it, doesn't mean that I'm ignorant."

"I found a way which will prove to be far more _effective_ ," his voice curled around the last word. He pocketed the quill. She paled until her normally pink face turned white as a sheet.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't suppose you know this but I recently rejoined the Aurors. Scrimgeour happens to be a good friend. He owes me a favour. Before I came here, I took the liberty of making a request. As soon as I walk out these doors, in less than five minutes, an entire team of Aurors will arrive to escort you to the department. They are gearing up as we speak."

"W-What? You can't do that! The minister won't allow it!"

Sirius chuckled humourlessly and Umbridge shivered. She had crossed the wrong person this time.

"The minister will be far too busy dealing with his own problems to come to your rescue. The elections are less than three months away. When the members of the Wizengamot come to know of this little scheme of his, I have a distinct feeling that he'll be vacating his office much before the end of his term."

"You've bitten off too much this time. It's time to pay the piper, _Professor_." The grim satisfaction on his face sealed her fate. There was no way out now. If she lost Fudge's support, she would be going down.

"Please, I was only doing my job. You ca—"

"I see we've reached phase two now. Excuses and grovelling. I'd save the explanations for the department, Umbridge. You'll be needing them. Nothing you say will change the cruel fact that you harmed an innocent boy repeatedly just so you could prove your point. My godson."

The protectiveness in those two words was nearly tangible. It was no secret that the Blacks were cruel people. Only a fool would cross them. Just because Sirius wasn't like the rest of his family, people forgot that ultimately, he was a Black.

"How dare you harm _my_ godson like that! You had no bloody right! I don't care for the reasons behind your actions. They're inexcusable."

That sick smile has been wiped off her face long ago. Now, a sense of dread filled her.

"I might not be able to send you to Azkaban, but I assure you, I will do everything in my power to make your pathetic life miserable."

He stood up, his imposing frame looming over her. "You should not have harmed my godson. Once I'm through with you, you will regret ever call my godson to your office."

Sirius stepped away and made towards the door. In the nick of time, he caught a flash of green light in one of the plates on the wall and ducked just in time to avoid the Killing curse that sailed past his head. "Big mistake."

Quicker than the eye could process, Sirius whipped out his wand and stunned her. Umbridge slumped in her chair as a binding charm washed over her.

Satisfied, he exited the vile office and closed the door behind him.

He ran into Kingsley and the other aurors on his way. He grinned at Sirius cheerfully. "Dumbledore was startled when the six of us burst out of his fireplace."

Sirius chuckled as he imagined the scene. "You'll find her in that ghastly office of hers. She'll come with you willingly, don't worry. She's currently... indisposed."

Kingsley raised his eyebrows curiously but simply nodded to Sirius with a grin before leading his men to Umbridge's office.

Just desserts.

Sirius smirked and walked off to Dumbledore'd office, another idea in his head.

* * *

It was well past noon by the time Sirius returned home. He found Harry curled up in his favourite armchair, flipping through a Quidditch magazine.

He smiled indulgently at the boy and ruffled his hair. "You hungry?"

"Starving. How did your meeting go?" Harry had initially been quite hesitant about Sirius going to confront Umbridge but had eventually given in.

"It was far better than I'd imagined. Umbridge won't ever bother you again. You're safe, I promise."

Harry's face broke into a relieve grin before he looked up at his godfather suspiciously. "What did you do, Sirius?"

The man pretended to be offended. "Oi! Have a little faith in your godfather, will you? Children these days." He shook his head mockingly.

Harry rolled his eyes but sobered up quickly. "Thank you, Sirius, really." The man gave him an affectionate wink and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "Come on now, kiddo, lunch time."

At lunch, Harry could no longer contain his curiosity. "What exactly did you do about, Umbridge, Sirius?"

Effecting an air of nonchalance, Sirius shrugged and took another bite of his food. "Nothing much, I just called the aurors and asked them to arrest her."

Harry's eyes widened disbelievingly. "No way!" He stared at his godfather with something akin to awe but then just as quickly, his spirit dampened. "What about Fudge? He's her boss _and_ the minister. He won't allow that."

"Don't worry about Fudge. He'll keep his mouth shut if he knows what's good for him. If he wants to keep his post for the remainder of his term,— which is highly unlikely— he will turn Umbridge over to the aurors."

Harry's grin was back in place. "So the aurors are dealing with her right now?" Sirius nodded. "Absolutely. She's never ever going to hurt you again, pup. I've made sure of that."

A lump formed in Harry's throat and he shoved it down. He was so, so grateful to have Sirius as his godfather. "Thanks, Sirius." The man only smiled warmly at him.

Another question popped into his head. "What's going to happen now? Who's going to teach DADA now?"

Sirius smirked knowingly at the boy. "Oh, did I not tell you? I suggested to Dumbledore that he should rehire Remus. After all, most of the students liked him."

Sirius wasn't prepared when Harry practically jumped out of his chair and threw his arms around his godfather. He wrapped his arms around the boy and ruffled his hair. "You're the best, you know that?"

The man smiled fondly at the boy's compliment and slowly released him.

Harry's cheeks burned at his childish behaviour but his godfather hadn't minded one bit. He had missed these hugs throughout his childhood. He gladly welcomed them now.

"I'll be sure to remind you of that."

They went back to their meal and Harry just knew that things would take a turn for the better now.

* * *

 **Epilogue will be uploaded soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

Dolores Umbridge was not having a good day. Hell it had been a horrible week.

Three days ago, Black had paid her a visit in her office. That day marked the beginning of her downfall. She had tried to kill him, but he had been too strong for her.

He had stunned her without warning and she'd lost consciousness. When she'd regained her senses, she found herself in a cell, in handcuffs. Guards had visited her, bringing her food. But, other than that, she had no visitors.

An Auror had come to her cell yesterday, to tell her that Black would be the one conducting her interrogation. She would be lying if she denied that she had nearly quaked fearfully on hearing that.

He was a scary man, there was no doubt about that.

During the first two days, she'd hoped that her boss would turn up and pull her out of this whole mess, but there had been no help from that end either.

She sat upright in her cell when Kingsley Shacklebolt, one of the Aurors who had arrested her, came to her cell.

He wordlessly unlocked her cell door and led her outside, probably towards the room in which the questioning would take place. She was pushed into a chair and the guards entered and positioned themselves on all four corners of the room.

The door opened and fear gripped her heart when she saw the person who entered. Maybe it was just her mind playing cruel games on her, but Black somehow looked even more intimidating this time. He was the one who held all the power today.

"Dolores Jane Umbridge, I must say, you have an _impressive_ past. The aurors did a little bit of investigation and we've found quite an interesting list of facts. Seems like your track record isn't as clean as you made it appear."

"What... What do you mean?"

"Aside from minor thefts in your neighborhood, Aurors found evidence and victims who were subjected to the very same quill you used on my godson. Children."

 _How did they find out about that? Hadn't she wiped their minds properly?_

"You worked as a private tutor before you joined the ministry, am I right?"

She was utterly doomed. Black had clearly been very thorough in his search.

"One of the boys told me that when he was nine, you put a sticking charm on his chair and forced him to use the Blood Quill until you were satisfied. All because he caught you stealing. A little too harsh, isn't it?"

She flinched from the ferocity of his glare and balled her hands. "I didn't do any of that."

He clicked his tongue mockingly and shook his head. "I'm ashamed of you, Umbridge. You are the one who always says that _one must not tell lies_. You better start talking."

She gulped fearfully. "It was a long time ago."

"Not so long after all. We'll see what the DMLE has to say about this during your trial."

She looked up at him with shocked eyes. "Trial?"

"Of course. Every criminal must receive a fair trial. What did you expect, Umbridge? A fine? Suspension? I thought I was wrong but you've more than earned yourself a stay in Azkaban. Malpractice is one thing but child abuse is something different altogether. As for the duration of your stay, only time will tell."

The words rang in her ears. She was going to prison. All because of one stupid, orphaned, scar-faced brat with an overprotective godfather.

She looked at Black and found no mercy in his steely eyes. There was nothing in them except for a raw, cold fury directed solely at her.

"You hurt the one I care about most. Harry is my boy. He's under my protection. You come at him, you come at me. I warned you. You cross me and I'll make sure you live out the rest of your days in misery. Harry is my family and when it comes to family, I don't fool around. I certainly hope you'll understand, _Professor_."

Her heart was pounding. Her life was ruined. While her crimes were valid and she would be exposed, all this would have never happened if she'd just left Potter alone.

"I'll see you at the trial, Umbridge."

* * *

 ** _Dolores Umbridge sentenced to Azkaban!_**

 _Dolores_ _Jane Umbridge, former undersecretary to Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge has been sentenced to Azkaban for ten years._

 _This woman who claimed to uphold justice and follow the law is a fraud. She has harmed numerous children in the past. All these victims spoke during her trial which was conducted on Tuesday._

 _She was also teaching at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry before she was exposed. Merlin knows how many students suffered!_

 _The aurors refuse to shed light on the identity of the person who uncovered the truth about this obnoxious woman. Whoever you are, thank you very much!_

 _We can only be thankful that her true colors have been revealed. The Minister remains silent, unwilling to speak about his decision of employing her at Hogwarts._

 _Stay in touch for more news!_

Harry closed the paper and stared at his godfather who was eating his toast. "How the hell did you all this in less than a week?" There was a small, malicious part of him that felt happy that Umbridge was in Azkaban. She deserved it.

Sirius winked at him mischievously. "Watch the language, young man. As you know, I'm capable of a lot of things ranging from making amazing pancakes to arresting evil professors."

Harry shook his head and laughed, feeling awesome. You're brilliant, Sirius. Absolutely, unequivocally brilliant."

The feeling of having someone watch over you and protect you was still relatively new for Harry. He didn't think he'd ever fully get used to having a father. Sirius was a great dad, there were no arguments on that end.

"Unequivocally? That's a big word, pup. And yes, I know I'm brilliant. After all, you do make it a point to frequently remind me of that."

"Now, why don't you go upstairs and pack once you're done with breakfast? Term begins in two days, pup." Harry groaned and threw his head back against the chair.

Although Umbridge wouldn't be there to torment him anymore, he wasn't looking forward to going back. He loved it here at home. He would die before he admitted it but he enjoyed every bit of Sirius' fussing and overprotective nature.

That and packing was horribly boring.

* * *

"Now remember, I expect you to be in touch, Harry James. When I call that mirror, you answer and we'll talk. Any problems, you tell me. Got it?"

Harry rolled his eyes, having heard these instructions several times. He gave his godfather an exaggerated bow. "Of course, your Majesty. Wouldn't dream of disobeying you."

If he received any funny stares from the other parents on the platform, he ignored them. "Good lad," the man replied.

Harry knew that things were going to be better this time. Umbridge was gone, Remus was back. Nothing could dampen his mood now.

Sirius drew his godson in for a hug, ruffling the inky black hair as he always did. "Take care of yourself, kiddo."

"I will, I promise."

Sirius helped Harry get his trunk onto the train where he found his friends.

He saw Harry smile and wave to him from the window and waved back.

The clock struck eleven and the train began to pull out of the station. Harry waved to him until the train was out.

Sirius watched with a smile. Harry was safe and happy and that's all he wanted.

Merlin help anyone who tried to lay a finger on Harry Potter.

No one could save them from the wrath of Sirius Black.

 _Fin_

* * *

 **That's the end of this story. Sorry about the long wait.**

 **Umbridge finally got her just desserts. I've read a couple of fics in which Sirius discovers Umbridge's abuse but can't do anything because he's still an escaped convict.**

 **I wanted to change that.**

 **This was personal for Sirius which is why he was so ruthless. Like I mentioned earlier, Sirius is a Black. You don't mess with a Black and walk away with it.**


End file.
